Alright, I know it's been a while since I updated this.
Responses to Reviews:
Phieillydinyia: All will be revealed in good time...
RonaldM40196867: Chin village is a thoroughly unpleasant place run by vicious idiots.
As always, please review, and we pick up our story across the water from where we left off...
Sokka walked up the hill, turned, and pushed the tips of the easel into the long grass. He set down his paintbrushes and opened his paint, before looking up at the landscape presented before him.
Kyoshi Village lay in front of him, the road to the coast lined with simple wooden structures. There was a certain elegance to them, devoid of the ostentatious presentation that architecture from Ba Sing Se or the Fire Nation cities had. Around them, many figures in blue, the Kyoshi Islanders, flitted about attending to their daily business. At one end of the road, a large statue of Avatar Kyoshi towered over everything, like the watchful guardian that its subject had been to this community in life.
On the other side, several ships of various sizes could be seen in the island's port.
Sokka's eyes were drawn off to one side, where the current protectors of Kyoshi Island stood. The Kyoshi Warriors, several women in green and black armoured kimonos, white and red face paint, and golden headdresses, were going through some exercises as Sokka watched on.
Sokka watched as one of them stretched her arms out and the rest followed. Sokka was reminded of the very first time he had met them, during the war; they had been practicing much like they were now, and he had blundered in there with his wounded pride, and insulted their combat ability because they were women. The consequences had been quick and painful, but at least they had caused him to shed those ideas, which Sokka thanked the Spirits for.
Sokka's eyes fell upon their leader, and he was reminded of another reason why he thanked the Spirits for that day. Suki was the entire reason he had come back here after all. She had seen him at his worst and she had still fallen in love with him, as he had with her, and as Sokka watched he was reminded why.
Suki saw him looking and flashed him a smile, which he returned with a wave.
Eventually, he remembered why he was there and began selecting a brush. Having picked out a relatively thick one, he dipped it in ink and got to work.
Twenty minutes later, he stepped away from the easel and admired his work. He had never been the most talented artist, he could admit, but he was quite pleased with how this one was turning out. With a bit of fine tuning, the Kyoshi Warriors would be recognisable this time.
"Nice," a voice came from behind him. Sokka turned to find Suki standing there with her arms folded, admiring his work. Stood next to her was Ty Lee, who had fought for the Fire Nation during the war before betraying Azula and joining the Kyoshi Warriors.
"What? Weren't you just there?" Sokka asked, baffled.
"Remember, trained in the art of stealth!" Suki pointed out.
"Although, you were very engrossed in your work," Ty Lee added.
"It takes a lot of concentration."
"And it looks it," Suki took a step closer. "Although shouldn't we be getting ready?"
"I am getting ready. I want this to be a present for them! Besides, they aren't due until tomorrow, are they?"
"No," Suki conceded, "but I wouldn't put it past them to arrive early."
"Well I think they'll love it!" Ty Lee told him.
Just then, a familiar growl echoed across the island. Sokka immediately dropped the brush, and a wide smile broke out across his face as his eyes turned towards the heavens, squinting until he spotted the familiar speck in the distance that rapidly grew as it approached.
"See?" Suki grabbed his hand. "Now come on!"
The three of them ran for where the bison was headed.
As Appa approached, he circled around the village a couple of times before coming in to land in the large area of open ground around the Kyoshi statue. Sokka and Suki jogged towards it, surrounded by the rest of the Kyoshi warriors and then the islanders, eager to catch a glimpse of the Avatar.
"Aang! Katara!" Sokka shouted as he approached, but then he faltered, and stopped.
Neither the Avatar nor his sister were there. The bison's saddle was empty.
A ripple of shouts spread through the crowd as they this in, swiftly followed by a hushed silence. Sokka felt the eyes of all assembled on him.
Appa turned towards them, and Sokka saw the bison recognise him and Sokka; he roared at them and moved towards them. He ran forwards to meet him.
"He sounds like he's trying to tell us something!"
"Probably where Aang and Katara are."
"Something must be wrong," Sokka stated. "Aang would never be separated from Appa voluntarily. Not after last time."
Suki shuddered, remembering what had happened last time.
"So what do we do?" One of the Kyoshi Warriors asked.
"People will need to know," Suki said.
Sokka nodded, but just then there was a shout as a man pushed through the crowd and threw something, a liquid, at his face. Sokka would have received a faceful of the stuff before he could react if Appa hadn't reacted first, knocking him out of the way with a swipe of his tail. In shock, Sokka turned to stare at the man as he drew a weapon and advanced towards him.
"Who are you?" He demanded. "And what was that for?"
The man just smirked, as more figures began to appear from the surrounding trees. They were all dressed in black, and many of them were carrying bottles along with their more conventional weapons.
Immediately, the Kyoshi Warriors' battle training kicked in, as they dropped into a fighting stance. Some of them began shepherding the non-warriors out of the square as their assailants charged towards them. Sokka reached for his belt, hoping that at least one of his weapons would be there, but came up empty. Why did people have to attack him at the most inconvenient times?
Sokka groaned as one of the men charged towards him, swinging a club that Sokka dodged as he shouted wildly. Around him, chaos had broken out as the strange attackers engaged in duels with Kyoshi Warriors; Sokka caught a glimpse of Ty Lee dancing circles around one man, and with several quick jabs into his back he was sent sprawling, out of the fight. She turned back towards him, and her eyes widened; Sokka recognised the warning and turned to find another man charging him, this one uncorking his bottle. Sokka had just enough warning to get out of the way, and the liquid flew harmlessly over his shoulder- and hit one of the Kyoshi Warriors. He watched in horror as she immediately collapsed, before turning back to face the man. He was able to dodge under his next strike and remove his sword from its scabbard, turning the weapon against its former owner.
A quick glance behind him told him that Suki had arrived over the downed warrior and was knelt over her, trying to make sure that she was alright; Suki looked up at him and nodded to tell him that she was.
He let out a sigh of relief that he didn't know he had been holding in as his opponent closed in. Sokka braced himself for battle until a blast of wind caught the man and sent him flying into a wall. Appa growled at him.
"Attaboy, Appa!" Sokka encouraged him, as he took a defensive position over Suki.
"Well?" He asked over his shoulder.
"Unconscious," she said. "What happened?"
"She got hit with whatever they have in those bottles," Sokka replied, parrying a blow.
"Then we probably shouldn't."
Suki stood up, and drew her fans, taking a stance next to Sokka.
The battle was by now beginning to swing in their favour; all the Warriors could Chi-block and so increasing numbers of their attackers were dropping out of the fight as soon as one good hit was landed on them.
Another man charged at them, with his bottle at the ready, but they were ready for him; Sokka dodged to one side, Suki the other, and as Sokka knocked the bottle out of his hand with his sword Suki tripped him up. The man collapsed to the ground, going down hard, and Sokka rushed to pick up his bottle before its contents entirely leaked away.
He stood up to find the battle all but over; only a couple of attackers were still trying to fight, the rest all being incapacitated or running away. Ty Lee soon brought down another and that left only one, who looked around warily before fixating on Sokka and Suki and giving them a look that Sokka really didn't like.
A second later, the man drew his sword and charged at them, yelling wildly as he approached. Sokka got the impression that he did not intend to survive his attack, as he panicked and threw the bottle at his assailant's face. Immediately, the war-cry ceased and the charge turned into a flop.
At once, the din of battle stopped, to be replaced with an eerie silence. The Kyoshi Warriors looked stunned at what had just happened, and so was Sokka.
"Well," he said to break the silence. "I think we know what happened to Aang and Katara now."